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The rains are upon us. Getting wet in the rain can have negative effects on health. Colds and flu are some of the conditions that normally develop if one is wet from rain.

The following remedies could help to prevent and manage these conditions at home without necessarily seeking medical care.

Gargle with salt water

Do this as soon as you start feeling sick! Not only can it help relieve a sore, scratchy throat, but if you go back to your middle school science days, water follows salt, so the idea is that gargling salt water actually pulls viral fluids out from the throat area.

Have a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water and gargle it all 1-2x a day.

Honey

Honey not only helps soothe a sore throat it also works as a cough suppressant. Honey can soothe irritated mucous membranes which helps remove the irritation that is fuelling the cough reflex.

Take a Ginger Shot

Ginger is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. It has been known to help with congestion, nausea, colds, and fevers. Eating ginger can also help  as well as the juice shot.

Garlic

Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral and antibiotic properties. Garlic is packed with minerals, enzymes, vitamin C, sulphur, and selenium which all help bust colds and flus. Eat a clove whole.

Hot liquids

This one is pretty instinctive, but we load up on hot herbal teas and hot lemon water at first sign of illness. The heat helps boost the immune system and a variety of herbs can help with infection. Lemon is a great natural source of vitamin C.

Face steam

Boil 1-2 cups of water in a large pot. Remove from heat, add 2 teaspoons each of thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Cover for 5 minutes with a lid, and then remove lid and put face directly over pot with towel covering your head to hold in the heat. Breathe in the steam as long as you can (aim for 15 minutes). This will help loosen congestion and kill viruses and bacteria in the lungs, bronchials, or sinuses.

Hydrate and rest

If the body is running a fever, the best support you can give is to stay well hydrated on water and herbal teas and to rest enough. The body needs several extra hours of rest a day when ill, and often several extra glasses of water also. If you are running a fever, it is easier to get dehydrated, so drink enough water. — healthymaven.com/wellness mama.